Democrats Pick Trustee As Mayoral Candidate In Port Chester

Democrat Gregory Adams will be challenging Republican Richard “Fritz” Falanka in the Port Chester mayoral race in March. Adams is a village trustee; Falanka is a former village clerk and village manager.Photo Credit: ProvidedRichard "Fritz" Falanka is the Republican nominee in the upcoming mayoral contest in Port Chester.Photo Credit: Facebook

Falanka, 73, is a former village clerk and village manager. He was nominated by the Port Chester Republican Committee last month.

A retired social worker for the county, Adams had also worked as a supervisor for the New York City Board of Education.

He has a degree in economics from Herbert Lehman College and an AAS in electrical engineering from Bronx Community College.

Adams is promising to hold the line on property tax increases and work to “persuade” Starwood to pay its “fair share of taxes” and to “proceed in a community friendly manner.”

Adams was referring to a plan by an affiliate of
Starwood Capital Group
to turn the former United Hospital site in Port Chester into a $450 million mixed-use development.

Adams had opposed the laying off of the village’s paid professional firefighters last year.

According to a report in lohud.com, the state Labor Department found that the village had retaliated against the eight for blowing the whistle on alleged missteps certain volunteer firefighters made at a house blaze on Cottage Place in March.

The village had countered that the decision to go to an all-volunteer department was purely financial. Officials said the move would save $800,000 and help balance the 2016-2017 budget, the lohud.com story said.

Pilla said Adams “has been validated twice before by the voters” and “knows all the issues.”

Deputy Mayor Luis Marino also pointed to Adams’s experience and said he is well-prepared to be mayor.

Trustee Daniel Brakewood, praising Adams as an advocate for all village residents, said he believed he would “work hard” as mayor to build consensus among trustees.

A village government under Adams, Brakewood said, will be able to meet the needs of villagers, while keeping taxes in check.

Added Democratic Chairman Raymond Sculky: “Greg is well- versed on the issues facing our village today and would make a great mayor!”

Adams, the father of two Eagle Scouts, has lived in the village for more than 20 years. His wife, Hattie, has lived in Port Chester all her life.